The Day Vinci Code...

This task is given by Pro. Dilip Barad, to look at worksheet click here

1) Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."


Dan Brown asserts that his books are not anti-Christian, and it is right also because he wants to reveal the facts. He also says that he is on the spiritual journey as he portrays the characters who have faith in the religion. Through the murder mystery he unfolds the factual things about the Christianity.  if we look deeply then we can find that there is much serious issues on which Brown throws light. In a way he is trying to awaken the people from the blind faith.There are several incidence which shows us that our hero has faith on the Christianity and also he don’t want to break it.


2)"Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?

Dan Brown said that this is the novel for entertainment. What are the things presented by him it can be wrong,not true. He also present use of technology here which one can not find in reality. It is his imagination power which present that this is not true  one. Here he tries to look with his own perspective towards the religion and give his ideas.


3) You have studied ‘Genesis’ (The Bible), ‘The Paradise Lost’ (John Milton) and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (Dan Brown). Which of the narrative/s seem/s to be truthful? Whose narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind?

Milton's narrative seems more truthful, because the novel has some evidence about the Christianity but it's somehow confusing. People keep on doubting on the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, he was known for his mirror writing, but there is nothing like that he was suffering from Dyslexia, so there is nothing like code hidden in his paintings. Dan Brown's narrative has so much lies so, Milton's narrative can be more convincing.


4) What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?


Milton displays woman as downfall of a man and in many narrator there is woman who is the reason of downfall of man. In The Da Vinci code society and people were not free. Even artists also had to paint and draw what church want. Lots of people have been killing for religion. The Da Vinci code tries to deconstruct Jesus as God with the help of myths. In the novel there is description of how millions of women were killed for killing of Marie Magdalene. This work can be do harm in that way. In the end it proves that heir of Jesus is living. So for protection of power again church can do same thing.


5) What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer.

In  all this books,women character is presented as an object of man except the character of Hester Prynne. She is the real heroine of novel and the main  male character  is weak here. In all other literary books women character is come after male character. In Da Vinci code also the character of Sophie is more powerful than other male but after that she become dumb character. So we can say that all the women character are strings in man's hand.In movie  all this characters are presented as objectified one for sexual pleasure like Ophelia, Elizabeth and Hester Prynne. But the character of Sophie Neuve in Da Vinci code is dumbest one.

6)Do novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious symbols / myths?


Yes these type of novel or movies leads us to deconstruct religion or doubt it. We can easily deconstruct the story of Da Vinci code. It raised openly attack on Christianity  and it's follower, debate  in people's mind. In Hindu religion also there is some elements which we can deconstruct but it needs more time. There are so many examples which can be helpful for deconstruct the Hindu God. Now we can also deconstruct it with raise questions against it and read it as it is against of it.

7) Have you come across any similar book/movie, which tries to deconstruct accepted notions about Hindu religion or culture and by dismantling it, attempts to reconstruct another possible interpretation of truth?


Yes, we can find in films like 'OMG' and 'PK', which deconstructs the idea of God and the existence of God.


8) When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?


Obviously, Leigh Teabing emerge as protagonist if we do aetheist reading of the novel. Leigh Teabing is much intellectual personality and without knowing all the truths he is not deconstructing things in his mind. First he reads all the histories then he deconstruct it. He wants to open the eyes of peoples and make them aware about the relationship of Jesus and Mary. He wants to reach to the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene. He is sure that after getting the DNA he will find the living descendent of Christ and proves his point.

9)Explain Ann Gray’s three propositions on ‘knowability’ with illustrations from the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’.

1. Identifying what is knowable

2. Identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known
3. What is the procedure for ‘knowing’?

Ann Gray describe three proposition on knowability that can we apply in the novel “ The Da vinci cod” because in the novel one of the major question is about ‘identity’ and ‘knowledge
about the self’. Ann Gray’s three proposition of knowability.

(1) This is an ontological question; it refers to the aspect of social reality to be studied but also deals with assumptions. We are willing to make about the nature of reality. This is very waste concept and one cannot claim that whatever we know is truth. Character like Silas dies in blindness about his knowledge.

(2) Identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known.

This is epistemological question and put simply asks how we know that we know. In the novel Silas don’t know who the teacher is but then also he works for him and killed so many people under the order of the teacher

(3) What is the procedure for knowing?

This is the methodological question so in this we come to know that there are many ways to find out the things. In this novel procedure for knowing we find in the character of Sophie Neveu. She knows about here self that she belongs to royal blood line of Jesus Christ after slowing many riddle.

So, for that perspective understanding of these things from Ann Gray’s book is very helpful.

Thank You...